Chile

When I think about the wines I make at Quiet Corner Winery, I often think about the places I've been, the people I've met, and the experiences that have stayed with me.

Not every wine has a story that begins in the country where its grapes were grown. Sometimes the story starts somewhere entirely different.

I spent much of my twenties living in Germany, in the Rheinland-Pfalz region, where Riesling is deeply rooted in the local wine culture. I even had the opportunity to pick Riesling grapes while I lived there. That experience stayed with me.

Years later, when I decided to make my own Riesling, I chose to source the grapes from Chile. Not because I was trying to recreate a German Riesling. Quite the opposite.

Chile has different growing conditions, and I wanted to explore what I could create by working with a grape I knew from one part of the world, grown in another. That's why I named the wine Latitude.

To me, the name represents more than geography. It's about how the same grape can tell different stories depending on where it's grown, and how our own experiences influence what we create.

Tekton — The Craftsman's Journey

Then there's Malbec. I've always enjoyed Malbec, but making it has probably taught me more about winemaking than any other wine I've worked with.

I kept encountering challenges in the final stages of the process. What I eventually began to realize was that some of those problems likely started much earlier. I just hadn't recognized them at the time.

That's one of the humbling things about winemaking. Decisions made early can reveal themselves months later. Tekton has taught me to pay closer attention, question my decisions, and better understand how every stage affects the finished wine.

That's why I named my Malbec Tekton, from the Greek word meaning craftsman or builder.

To me, craftsmanship isn't about having all the answers. It's about developing your skills through experience, learning from mistakes, and taking pride in getting better at what you do.

These two wines are different, but they're connected by the same idea: we experience life in different places, at different latitudes, and at different stages of our lives. We carry those experiences with us, and sometimes we find a way to bring them together.

The grapes come from Chile. I make the wines here in Hampton, Connecticut. And the best part is being able to share them with friends.

Bringing the World to Your Glass.